East Bay roundup: Heritage High football team gets win No. 1 over Antioch

An uptempo offense and a key stop on a two-point conversion try helped the Heritage High football team earn its first win of the season, 28-26 over Antioch in Bay Valley Athletic League play Friday.

Down 14-0 late in the first half, Heritage (1-6, 1-1 BVAL) drove 85 yards on 14 plays to cut the deficit in half. Julius Johnson scored from 2 yards out on the last play of the half.

In the second half, Heritage kept the scoring going with a 68-yard drive that took 10 plays. Mason Sargent's 11 yard touchdown run tied the game with 8:45 left in the third quarter.

Nick Zalec's 6-yard run gave Heritage a 28-20 lead with just under five minutes left.

But the Panthers marched right back.

Hunter Karnthong capped a 14-play drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:15 left. In a two-point conversion try to tie the game, Karnthong was sacked by Jordan Ruelas.

The Patriots recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock.

Freedom 49, Pittsburg 48: In a battle that many anticipated might swing the balance of the BVAL landscape, the Falcons (5-2, 2-0) outlasted the host Pirates (4-3, 1-1).

A blocked PAT kick by Darrell Daniels with 3:30 left proved the difference.

"I just went all out and dove and the ball hit my helmet," said Daniels, who had 143 yards from scrimmage and scored twice.

Pittsburg would get the ball back with 1:21 left and no timeouts, but an interception by Christian Montion sealed the win with 30 seconds to go.

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It was a see-saw battle with both teams holding 14-point leads at one point. The Pirates built a 42-28 second-half lead behind a rushing attack that gained over 360 yards and produced all seven of their touchdowns. Harris Ross lead the attack with 169 yards on 14 carries.

"We bent but didn't break," Freedom coach Kevin Hartwig said of his defense. "Well, we broke, but mended things back together in time to make a play at the end."

Freedom quarterback Dante Mayes broke the 42-42 tie with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Daniels with 7:28 left. It was his fourth scoring pass of the night. The first three went to running back Joe Mixon, who also rushed for a score and threw for one out of the wildcat formation.

BVAL defending champion Pittsburg had won each of the past four meetings between the teams.

"It was a great game," Pittsburg coach Victor Galli said. "It's a big win for Freedom. They're a good football team. Disappointed for my guys though. They played hard tonight."

Neither team wasted anytime displaying its offensive prowess.

Despite regular starting quarterback Dante Mayes beginning the game on the sidelines, Freedom took the opening possession and scored on a 38-yard end-around run by receiver Daniels after just six plays.

Pittsburg scored roughly three minutes later after a Daniels fumble set the Pirates up on the Freedom 33. Pittsburg scored on four plays, punching it in on a 10-yard run by Harris Love.

Mayes entered the game for the first time on the Falcons third possession and promptly led two scoring drives with touchdown passes of 14 and 9 yards to running back Joe Mixon. The latter put Freedom up 21-7 with 2:35 left in the first quarter.

-- Chace Bryson,

correspondent

Deer Valley 38, Liberty 7: The visiting Wolverines (6-1, 2-0) scored on their first four drives en route to a BVAL win over the Lions (2-5, 0-2).

Deer Valley scored on the first play from scrimmage, a 69-yard pitch-and-catch from quarterback Nsimba Webster to wide receiver Deon Pruitt. Running back Shane Pooler followed suit with an 84-yard touchdown sweep down the sideline two plays later.

Slot receiver Lee Ward capped the first-quarter scoring with a 42-yard touchdown catch-and-run on a quick strike from Webster.

Webster finished the first half with 198 yards passing, and Pooler carried the ball seven times for 105 yards.

The Wolverines defense held the Lions offense to 49 yards and sacked quarterback Cody Suckow five times and intercepted him once.

-- Gabe Feletar, correspondent

Hercules 38, Richmond 6: The host Titans (4-2, 2-0) took a 22-point lead at halftime and earned a TCAL Stone Division win over the Oilers (0-7, 0-2).

Hercules scored 14 points in the first quarter as Damon Dixon completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Marquis Davenport, and Sterling Booker stripped the Richmond quarterback, recovered the fumble and ran in from 14 yards out for another score.

Richmond got on the board when Dashon Clark caught a 23-yard TD pass from Maricio Williams. But the Titans resumed control later in the first half on two second-quarter touchdown passes from Dixon. The first went to Armani Reynolds on a 25-yard play and the second went to Antwin Prowers on a 13-yard play.

Kennedy jumped out to a quick lead, scoring on its first drive that featured seven short runs, two 16-yard pass plays and a 2-yard touchdown run by Jacob Qualls.

After forcing a three-and-out by Albany, Kennedy scored in just three plays as Espinoza hit Tyrell Chenevert on a 44-yard strike to increase its lead to 14-0.

Espinoza and Chenevert did it again in the second quarter, connecting on a 69-yard pass play that gave Kennedy a 20-0 lead at halftime. Michael Rabin led Albany after two quarters with 43 yards rushing.

Kennedy added another score in the third quarter, as Tak McKinley caught a 68-yard pass from Espinoza to extend the lead to 28-0. The final Kennedy score came in the fourth quarter on an 8-yard run by Quall, who finished with 40 yards on 10 carries. Chenevert caught three passes for 105 yards and McKinley had 110 yards on four catches.

-- Don August, correspondent

John Swett 21, De Anza 0: The host Indians (4-3, 2-0) scored one touchdown in each of the first three quarters to earn a TCAL Stone Division win over the Dons (2-4, 1-1).

Demetrius Trim and Jakari Wilson each had a 3-yard TD run in the first half as John Swett took a 14-0 lead. It scored another touchdown in the third quarter to lead 21-0.

In the first half, Indians running back Alex Lazaridis had nine carries for 44 yards.